Who the f*ck is Nico Santo?

On January 10, 2019, I left my office in downtown San Francisco, papers scattered on my desk and a task unfinished. “I’ll be back tomorrow at 9 a.m. to wrap this up,” I thought. Little did I know, life had other plans.

At 4:30 a.m. on January 11th—my son’s due date—my wife woke me with the words, “I think my water broke.” In that instant, my eyes shot open, and I was all of the sudden wide awake. From that moment on, life hasn’t slowed down.

Lorenzo was born, and two years later, our daughter Emilia joined our family. My initial worries of “How will I survive with children?” transformed into “How could I live without them?” The past five years have been a whirlwind of diapers, insane daycare fees, first days of school, tantrums, hugs, and kisses.

Family has become my top priority—number one, two, and three. This journey has taught me that success in business, politics, or any field pales in comparison to what truly matters: making sure you are there to enjoy life with your loved ones before it is too late.

This profound experience has inspired me to write “proDADctive: Ambition, Diapers, and Everything in Between,” a book offering strategies on being a present father while maintaining productivity.

Ps: As for the picture, we tried our best. No one was cooperating. Not even the sunlight.

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